Overview: As Europe teeters on the brink of World War I, an ordinary doorman in Riga is swept into a whirlwind of radical ideologies and rising nationalism.

DVD Verdict: As Europe teeters on the brink of World War I, Hans (Petr Buchta), an ordinary doorman in Riga, is swept into a whirlwind of radical ideologies, political upheaval, and rising nationalism. His journey becomes an odyssey across a continent in turmoil, carrying him from utopian communes to imperial capitals.

Bearing witness to violence, passion and intrigue, he crosses paths with some of the era’s most influential figures - including Mata Hari, Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Leon Trotsky - amid the unraveling of the old order.

A kind of Kafkaesque nightmare, or perhaps a journey into madness that Hans (or his doppelgänger Peter) starts over one year, either way The Year Before The War is an authentically crafted movie. The year before the outbreak of WWI, to meet characters like Freud, Lenin or a possible Mata Hari is what is brought forth here.

Everything is mysterious and absurd, a carnival representation that indicates a mental disease, maybe. There is an intention of deconstruction of Europe, although not entirely convincing, but that aside this film WILL captivate you and hold your attention, you have my word. [M.R.]

The Year Before the War | Official Trailer

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